BRIGHT BOOK STORE

Due 19th February (1.5-2 pages, Times New Roman, Double-Spaced, minimum 500 words. There is no penalty for writing more)

Bright Books is a book store chain established 10 years ago in northern Michigan. Bright Books has had great success in Michigan and Ohio and is beginning to expand into other states. Most recently, executives have decided to open a store in Orlando, Florida. Approximately 20% of Orlando’s population is over the age of 55. Orlando's Hispanic/Latino population is growing and is currently 18.2% of the city's total population. The manager who has been chosen to open the store is Carmen Flux. Carmen, a graduate of a Human Resource Management program, is excited about her organization’s commitment to diversity initiatives in employment as well as its more recent strategic focus on offering products that best meet the needs of the surrounding community. For example, knowing that many of the residents are retirees and that planning for several new retirement communities in the area is currently underway, she plans to hire employees who understand what the customers want in terms of products and services. Carmen urgently needs to hire customer service representatives for the new store. She has requested your help in strategizing on the best way to approach staffing in this new location.

Questions

1. Describe some strategic human resource issues Bright Books is likely to face as they expand into Florida (Feel free to use other resources to better understand northern Michigan and Orlando Florida business environment, and book store business). How are these issues likely to affect staffing?

2. Based on your discussion above, recommend some recruitment and selection strategies Carmen could use in filling the customer service positions. You can recommend:

1. Recruiting methods to generate the kinds of applicants needed for this market

2. Selection methods and tool to screen applicants

3. Reference and background checks